Contact wheels



April 17, 1962 J. A. SIMENDINGER CONTACT WHEELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1958 IN ENTOR Indiana/Mm, S-gfl-m ATTORNEYfi April 1962 J. A. SIMENDINGER 3,029,566

CONTACT WHEELS Fi led Aug. 4, 1958 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN ENTOR.

rwdylma mwm ATTO R N EYS trite rates Patent free Filed Aug. 4, H58, Ser. No. 752,793 2 Claims. (Cl. 51-141) This invention relates to contact or drive wheels especially adapted for backing-up an abrasive belt for abrasive finishing operations. v i

Previous back-up wheels have included drums with rubber tire-like faces thereon. However, since variations in durometer or resiliency of the Wheel surfaces are neces sary because of variations in the belt or in the object being operated upon, this type of back-up wheel requires a plurality of complete wheels having surfaces of different resiliency, thereby increasing expense.

In order to overcome the deficiencies present in such previously used back-up wheels, a metal or solid material drum having its periphery slotted or serrated and having resilient inserts held in the slots has proved successful. This is due to the ready interchangeability of the resilient inserts to permit any desired durometer or resiliency for the wheel surface. Such back-up wheels are disclosed in applicants copending applications, Serial No. 515,815, filed June 16, 1955, now Patent No. 2,850,-

853, issued September 9, 1958, and Serial No. 658,579, I

filed May 13, 1957, now Patent No. 2,977,725, issued April 4, 1961. Although such contact wheels have proven very effective for certain types -of operations, a built-up or fabricated drum'constructed of formed sheet metal elements may be highly desirable from a cost standpoint.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a contact, back-up, or drive wheel for abrasive belt finishing in which the drum for holding individual resilient inserts is fabricated from a number of sheet metal parts rather than from a drum having grooves formed in the periphery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drum for holding resilient inserts or contact members about its periphery in which the inserts are firmly held in po- Zition by bars extending between two side plates of the rum.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a contact wheel including a number of resilient inserts and a fabricated drum for holding the inserts.

According to the invention, the contact or back-up wheel includes a pair of axially spaced side plates and a plurality of circumferentially spaced supporting bars which are held between the plates adjacent their outer periphery. These bars serve to hold a plurality of resilient contact members in position about the drum. The contact members include widened base portions, widened contact portions, and relatively narrow neck portions connecting the base portions and the contact portions. It is the neck portions which are held in position between the adjacent bars so that the widened contact portions will extend beyond the outer periphery of the side plates where they are engaged by the abrasive belt.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the bars are uniformly spaced about the periphery of the plates and the inserts are substantially uniform in size and shape.

In a still further aspect of the invention, the side plates can be arranged to be separated by a spacing member and held in place by a pair of flange or disc means. The flange means have shaft receiving apertures therein for receiving a driving shaft to which the assembly is secured.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the back-up wheel of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an edge view of the contact wheel of FIG. 1 with parts being broken away to more clearly show the construction thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one form of insert which may be used with the drum shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one form of the bar or way which may be used with the contact wheel of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another form of contact wheel constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional View of a modified form of the invention. I

The wheel of the invention may be used for various purposes but is particularly useful as a back-up arrangement for an endless abrasive belt finishing or abrading machine. Such a machine is shown schematically in the two copending applications identified above. In such a. device two wheels are normally provided, one being driven by a suitable motor, and an endless belt, which is driven at a relatively high linear speed, extending between the wheels. The work piece is placed on a work table and is pressed into contact with the abrasive belt so as to finish the desired surface.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drum of the invention includes two dish-shaped side plates 10 and 11 which have radially extending annular flanges 12 and 13, respectively, at their outer periphery. The plates 10 and 11 are positioned so that they are coaxial and so that their radial flanges extend away from each other, thereby resulting in axial spacing between the radial'fianges adjacent the outer periphery of the drum. Of course, it is obvious that plates 18 and 11 could be flat discs spaced from each other by any suitable means. Flange portions 12 and 13 are provided with aligned openings 14 and 15, respectively, spaced about the circumference thereof adjacent their outer periphery. In the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dished portions of plates 10 and 11 are held together by a supporting member 16 having a bore 17 therethrough adapted to receive a shaft (not shown) for rotation therewith. Set screw 18 may be provided to secure supporting member 16 to the shaft.

Bars or ways 19, shown in FIG. 4, are rectangular in shape and have tangs or projections 20 and 21 extending from their ends. The tangs 20 and 21 pass through aligned openings 14 and 15 in the flange portions 12 and 13 of side plates 10 and 11. They may be secured in position by riveting the ends over the side plates, as shown at 23 in FIG. 1, by welding, or by any other suitable method. The bars l are positioned so that wall 24 is generally parallel to the peripheral edge of flange portions 12 and 13. Thus, when all of the bars are in position, a circle of proper radius will pass through the axis of each tang.

A plurality of resilient inserts 25, as shown in FIG. 3, are inserted between adjacent bars or ways 19 about the entire periphery of the fabricated drum. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the resilient inserts include a widened base portion 26, a widened contact portion 27, and a relatively narrow neck portion 28 connecting the base portion and the contact portion. As can further be seen in FIG. 3, the insert is preferably formed so that the upper surface of base portion 26, the lower surface of contact portion 27, and the side edges of neck portion 28 are all flat. The height of neck portion 28 is selected to be substantially the same as the thickness of bar 19.

Thus, when the inserts are in position between adjacent bars the insert is compressed and contacts three sides of each bar to insure their firm securement in position. The bars are spaced such that the inserts will be positioned about the periphery of the drum in the manner shown in Patent No. 2,850,853, so that the abrasive belt will not contact any portion of the drum. As disclosed in both of the above-mentioned copending applications, the resilient inserts may, for example, be made from extruded rubber, neoprene or other similar rubber-like or resilient material.

If desired, the inserts may be of the type disclosed in copending application, Serial No. 658,579, wherein the base portion 26 and the contact portion 27 have different hardnesses for the purposes set forth in said application. It is also clear that the specific construction or shape of both the resilient members and the bars 19 may be varied without departing from the inventive concept herein.

As shown in FIG. 5, the spacing between flanges 14 and 15 may be increased for use with wider belts by utilizing a spacer sleeve 29 and an elongated supporting member 16 of the desired lengths.

As also shown in FIG. 5, an abrasive disc 30 may be secured to one or both of the sides of the back-up wheel for special abrading or finishing purposes. This disc may be secured to supporting member 16 by utlizing a spacer block 31 threadingiy engaged in here 17 and having a bore 32 therein adapted to receive a bolt 33. Such a disc could also be used with the back-up wheel shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

If desired, the wheel can be made with a relatively large central aperture as seen in FIG. 6 wherein the disc or side plates 35, 35 have bars 19A holding resilient inserts 25A in a manner similar to that described for the FIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive. Hollow cylinder or spacing means 36 is clamped between side plates 35 by holding discs or flanges 37. Said discs have apertures 38 for receiving rotating or drive shaft 39. The drive shaft may have a shoulder at 40 and may be threaded at 41 for receiving nut 42 which bears against washer 43.

What is claimed is:

1. In a contact back-up wheel for a belt, the combination of a pair of dish-shaped side plates having corresponding circumferentially spaced openings therein, the portions of said side plates adjacent the periphery thereof being axially spaced While the central portions thereof are in contact, means for holding the central portions in contact and for supporting said back-up wheel on a shaft, a plurality of flat rectangular supporting bars having tangs at their ends which are received in said openings so that said supporting bars are held between said plates adjacent the outer periphery thereof, and a plurality of substantially identical resilient contact members having widened base portions, widened contact portions and relatively narrow neck portions connecting said base portions and said contact portions, said neck portions, the top surface of said base portions and the bottom surface of said contact portions all being flat so as to form a pair of rectangularly shaped grooves in said contact members, each of said neck portions being held in position and compressed between the narrow faces of two adjacent bars which fit into said grooves so that said widened contact portions are held in a position where they extend beyond the outer periphery of saidside plates and are engaged by said belt.

2. In a contact back-up wheel for a belt, the combination of a pair of dish-shaped side plates having corresponding circumferentially spaced openings therein, the portions of said side plates adjacent the periphery thereof being axially spaced, means for holding the central portions in fixed assembled relation relative to each other and for supporting said back-up wheel on a shaft, a plurality of fiat rectangular supporting bars having tangs at their ends which are received in said openings so that said supporting bars are held between said plates adjacent the outer periphery thereof, and a plurality of substantially identical resilient contact members having widened base portions, widened contact portions and relatively narrow neck portions connecting said base portions and said contact portions, saicl neck portions, the top surface of said base portions and the bottom surface of said contact portions all being flat so as to form a pair of rectangularly shaped grooves in said contact members, each of said neck portions being held in position and compressed between the narrow faces of two adjacent bars which fit into said grooves so that said widened contact portions are held in a position where they extend beyond the outer periphery of said side plates and are engaged by said belt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,309,016 Ryan Ian. 19, 1943 2,415,308 Schulte Feb. 4, 1947 2,485,786 Strout Oct. 25, 1949 2,733,556 Whitesell Feb. 7, 1956 2,770,082 Whitesell Nov. 13, 1956 2,795,902 Miller June 18, 1957 

